Your Changing Body in the Fifth Month of Pregnancy

Physical Changes in the Fifth Month of Pregnancy

As in the fourth month, both you and your baby grow rapidly during the fifth month of pregnancy. You will probably gain around five pounds and your baby’s weight will nearly double. Naturally, you will feel these physical changes. When referring to their abdomen and breasts, women during this month often exclaim: “All of a sudden I’ve popped out.” Some specific physical changes you may notice during the fifth month of pregnancy include:

Showing More

Much of your look while carrying a baby reflects the body type you inherited from your mother and father. Tall, slim women tend to show later and higher; short and wide women tend to show earlier and lower. Long-waisted women (versus short-waisted women) have more room for the uterus to grow up before it has to grow out, so they tend to show later.

Itchy and Sensitive Belly

Stretching skin itches. That’s a dermatological fact. Massage a soothing emollient into the itchy areas. Beginning around the fourth or fifth month of pregnancy you may not want to wear anything that binds on your belly or to lie on it.

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Navel Discomforts

Around twenty weeks your expanding uterus presses outward beneath your belly button. It may hurt slightly when you walk. You may now experience occasional, minor discomforts in the area beneath your navel, and the navel itself may suddenly pop and become an “outie.” (It will return to normal after delivery.)

Your nipples may start to be more sensitive than ever during the fifth month of pregnancy, especially when you are lying on them during sleep or when they rub against your clothing. You may also notice leaking colostrum, a golden yellow substance that is the first milk for your newborn.

Cramping During the Fifth Month of Pregnancy

As early as the fifth month month of pregnancy some women, especially those in their second or subsequent pregnancies, experience abdominal discomfort similar to but less intense than menstrual cramps. These tiny contractions are a prelude to warm-up contractions called Braxton Hicks, which are more frequent and more noticeable during the third trimester.

Abdominal Pain

The tissue surrounding and supporting your uterus has more work to do now that your uterus is bigger and heavier. This brings new physical sensations. Large ligaments, called round ligaments, on each side of your uterus attach your uterus to your pelvis. Round ligaments must stretch as your uterus grows. This slow and steady stretching does not itself cause discomfort, but because they are being taxed by change, round ligaments can suddenly become sensitive to normal actions.

The most common offender is a sudden change of position. When you twist, or get out of bed in the morning, round ligament strain can cause a gripping pain along one or both sides of your lower abdomen, or even toward your back. While not harmful to baby, this pain can sometimes be excruciating for you. To prevent or lessen pelvic-ligament pain, try leg lift exercises. Avoid sudden changes of position, especially from sitting to standing and when getting out of bed.

Try lying down on your side, either the side of the pain or the opposite one – whichever brings you more relief. If you need more relief, try a hot water bottle.

Changes in Vision

Sometime around the fifth month of pregnancy, many women find their vision changes, usually for the worse. The increased fluid retention throughout your body actually changes the shape of your eyeballs, and with it your vision. Some women become more far-sighted, some more near-sighted during pregnancy.

You may feel you need a change in the prescription of your glasses, or your contact lenses may become uncomfortable, as if they no longer fit. Another cause of vision changes in pregnancy is the drop in estrogen, which decreases the moisture available to your eyes (dry-eye syndrome), and can lead to blurred vision, light sensitivity, and red, burning eyes.

Feet are Growing Too

If you feel your feet are getting larger and heavier as your abdomen does, you are right. That’s the fluid collecting in your ankles and feet, especially after a day of standing. Feet also feel the effects of the normal ligament looseness that develops throughout your body, causing weight-bearing joints to stretch and widen, and arches to fall. The extra body fat you are accumulating doesn’t help any.

Put all these changes into a shoe, and it’s no wonder that it no longer fits. Most women require at least a half-size larger shoe starting around the fifth month of pregnancy, and around fifteen percent of moms permanently require footwear at least a half-size larger.

August 1, 2013July 27, 2018Dr. Bill Sears

About Ask Dr. Sears

AskDrSears.com is intended to help parents become better informed consumers of health care. The information presented in this site gives general advice on parenting and health care. Always consult your doctor for your individual needs.